Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election: Polls close and count begins to replace late MSP

The polls have closed and counting is under way in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election.

Ten candidates are going head to head in a bid to replace late MSP Christina McKelvie.

The SNP government minister died in March at the age of 57, having last year taken medical leave to undergo treatment for secondary breast cancer.

The turnout has been announced as 44.2%, with a total of 27,155 votes cast out of a possible electorate of 61,485.

The contest takes place less than a year before the Scottish parliament election, with the result potentially offering a snapshot of how the political landscape north of the border will look in 2026.

The SNP will be seeking to hold on to the seat, given the heavy losses to Labour at last year’s UK general election.

However, all eyes are on Reform UK and whether it will enjoy a “tartan bounce” following the party’s recent slew of local election wins in England.

A senior party source has said it is expected to come third.

MP Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform UK, has arrived at the count.

When questioned over chairman Zia Yusuf’s decision to quit earlier on Thursday, Mr Tice refuted the party was in chaos.

He said: “Not at all. This is a party doing rather well. It’s lovely to see you.”

Speaking to Sky News’ Scotland correspondent Connor Gillies, SNP MSP Mairi McAllan said the result looks “close”.

The net zero and just transition secretary said: “I think Reform’s presence in this by-election has been felt, and it has been felt as a divisive presence. And it’s one that the SNP has been standing squarely against.

“But look, Labour have got a lot to answer for here. They were elected to Westminster last year on a promise of change. All they’ve demonstrated is that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

“And also, in an attempt to battle Reform, they appear to be trying to imitate Reform. The SNP won’t do that.”

The deputy leader of Scottish Labour said it was a “three-way fight” the party was not used to in Scotland.

Dame Jackie Baillie said the result was “too close to call”, adding: “We just need to wait until every last ballot paper is counted for the result. But it gives a degree of excitement for the evening.”

The MSP for Dumbarton said “people want a UK Labour government to go faster and quicker to change their lives”, adding: “But, you know, they’ve been in for less than a year.

“And what I was hearing on the doorstep is people really angry about 18 years of the SNP, where we have one in six people on an NHS waiting list, we have schools under performing, and we have people who don’t feel safe at school.”

Dame Jackie believes voters “will be pretty unforgiving” towards the SNP at next year’s Holyrood election.

She added: “After 18 years, do you know if they’d had any idea of what to do, they would have done it by now.”

Dame Jackie said she hadn’t been “spooked” by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

She said: “It takes a lot to spook me, and Nigel Farage doesn’t do that.”

When questioned about the fallout following the UK government’s unpopular axing of the universal winter fuel payment, she added: “There was disquiet about that, but the thing that I welcome, and was welcomed on the doorsteps, is that Keir Starmer has taken a different position.

“He is going to reinstate the winter fuel allowance for pensioners. It’s important that you have politicians that listen to what the electorate are telling them, and then move on to deal with it.

“People want a UK Labour government to go faster to change their lives. That’s what we are intent on doing.”

The 10 candidates standing in the Holyrood by-election:

• Collette Bradley, Scottish Socialist Party
• Andy Brady, Scottish Family Party
• Ross Lambie, Reform UK
• Katy Loudon, Scottish National Party (SNP)
• Janice MacKay, UK Independence Party (UKIP)
• Ann McGuinness, Scottish Green Party
• Aisha Mir, Scottish Liberal Democrats
• Richard Nelson, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
• Davy Russell, Scottish Labour Party
• Marc Wilkinson, Independent

Campaigning became heated in the run-up to the by-election, with Reform UK accused of running a “racist” ad on Facebook against Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.

Reform UK leader Mr Farage continued to double down, accusing his rival of “sectarian politics”.

In response, the Scottish Labour MSP branded Mr Farage a “poisonous little man” and accused him of running a “campaign of dirt and smear”.

Mr Sarwar added: “Frankly, it’s water off a duck’s back, because I’m fighting to change our country, he wants to divide it.”

While Reform UK is yet to win an election north of the border, First Minister John Swinney earlier said the by-election was a “two-horse race” between the SNP and Mr Farage’s party.

The SNP leader urged voters to get behind his party and “defeat the gutter politics” of Mr Farage, warning: “Or they will end up with a Reform MSP.”

Scottish Liberal Democrats candidate Aisha Mir told Sky News that her party’s message was “very well received” while out on the campaign trail.

Ms Mir said the constituents spoke of their concerns about the cost of living crisis, the health service, and council budget cuts.

She said: “The voters are fed up of broken promises. They feel betrayal. People have had enough.”

Ms Mir said her party stayed out of the political sniping that saw Reform UK, Scottish Labour and the SNP trade shots with each other.

Ms Mir said the Scottish Liberal Democrats have “positive plans for Scotland” ahead of Holyrood 2026.

She added: “We’re on the up and we’re not going to stand to the side.”

Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) candidate Collette Bradley told Sky News that many constituents she met on the campaign trail spoke of being “disheartened” with the main political parties.

Ms Bradley said: “Many felt despair and have an overall lack of trust in politicians.”

She said her party’s promise not to accept the near £75,000 base MSP wage resonated with voters.

Instead, any SSP candidate that becomes an MSP will remain on an average worker’s wage.

Ms Bradley added: “The by-election was a great way to raise our profile and get a foothold in an area we haven’t been for quite a long time.”

The votes are being verified and manually counted at South Lanarkshire Council headquarters in Hamilton. The result is expected in the early hours of Friday.

This news story will continue to be updated as the count continues. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.